Frost jacket assembly for water tower riser pipes

ABSTRACT

For a water tower riser pipe, an anti-freeze protector which includes a series of cylindrical frost jackets arranged end to end surrounding said pipe throughout its height. Spacers are interposed between the upper ends of each jacket and the pipe and a series of longitudinally spaced bands surround and secure said jacket. Each jacket comprises a pair of semi-cylindrical sections; and each section includes an inner and outer thin shell of glass fiber and a relatively thick foam plastic filler therebetween. Annular lap flanges depend from each jacket for cooperative enclosing sealing registry with the upper end of the adjacent frost jacket.

United States Patent 1191 Rea Sept. 3, 1974 FROST JACKET ASSEMBLY FOR WATER 3,270,780 9/1966 Kydd et al. 138/148 TOWER RISER PIPES 3,339,783 9/1967 Gorman 220/15 [76] Inventor: Earl M. Rea, 613 S. Third Ave.,

Sioux Fans S Dak' 57104 Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Assistant Exammer-Allan N. Shoap [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cullen, Settle, Sloman & 21 Appl. No.: 289,416

52 us. (:1. 138/148, 138/113, 220/1 B, [571' ABSTRACT 220/15 For a water tower riser pipe, an anti-freeze protector 51] 1111.01. F161 9/14, B65d 25/00 which includes a Series of Cylindrical frost jackets [58] Field of Search 220/63 R; 1 B, 15; g d end to end surroundinssaid P p throughout 138/148, 113, 149 its height. Spacers are interposed between the upper ends of each jacket and the pipe and a series of longi- [56] References Cit d tudinally spaced bands surround and secure said UNITED STATES PATENTS jacket. Each jacket comprises a pair of semicylindrical sections; and each section includes an inner and outer thin shell of glass fiber and a relatively l,612:()92 12/1926 Blackburn 22 B thick foam lastic filler therebetween. Annular lap 2,395,606 2/1946 Zinkil et al 220/63 R flanges depend from each jacket for cOOPerative 2,477 31 3 1949 sehmitz, Jr i v 220 3 closing sealing registry with the upper end of the adja- 2,74l,2 6 8 4/1956 Plunkett 220/1 B cent" frost jacket. 2,801,648 8/1957 Anderson et al. 138/170 2,887,243 5 1959 Murdock, Sr. 220/63 R 2 Clalms, 6 DlaWlng Flgures sex/ aw PATENTED SEP 3 I974 SHEETIUZ FIGZ FROST JACKET ASSEMBLY FOR WATER TOWER RISER PIPES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many areas where much of the weather is freezing and below, difficulties have been encountered in avoiding freezing of the water tower riser pipe. Some effort has been made in protectively enclosing said pipe, such as shown in US. Pat. No. 1,340,332. However, the device was complicated in structure, difficult to assemble and impractical.

While it is known that pipes containing fluids may be protected against freezing by enclosing them with insulation, no practical anti-freeze protectors are known to the Applicant for riser pipes of water towers, though the problem has long existed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 7 It is an object of the present invention to provide an anti-freeze protector for the riser pipe of a water tower, and in combination therewith a series of insulating cy- Iindrically formed frost jackets, which are arranged end to end and assembled around such riser pipe and secured thereto.

It is another object to provide an improved frost jacket which consists of a pair of opposed semicylindrical sections and wherein, each section includes inner and outer thin shells of glass fiber and an inner thick filler of a foam plastic such as Styrofoam or the like.

It is another object to provide in conjunction with the series of frost jackets, overlying the upper thereof and adjacent the tank, an insulating slip jacket which includes inner and outer thin shells of glass fiber and a thick filler of foam plastic, such as Styrofoam.

It is another object to provide means for suspending the slip jacket from the tank and at the same time, snugly retaining and securing the slip jacket with respect to the upper mostof the frost jackets.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings.

THE DRAWING FIG. I is a front elevational view of a water tower with its riser pipe protectively enclosed by aseries of assembled frost jackets.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the Iower-most frost jacket shown on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken in the direction of arrows 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary partially sectioned elevational view which shows the upper portion of the riser pipe, frost jacket adjacent the bottom of the water tower tank, and slip jacket.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of an adjacent pair of frost jackets shown on an increased scale.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view partly sectioned and similar to FIG. 4, with modified slip jacket.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, a water tower tank is generally indicated at l l with conventional supports 13 anchored at 15 down into the ground surface G and with an upright water riser pipe 17 centrally disposed below said tank and extending down into the ground surface for the delivery of stored water as required by a municipality, City or Town, said riser pipe being fragmentarily shown in the other views.

Said riser pipe in FIG. 1 is shown protectively enclosed by the series of insulating frost protective longitudinally disposed frost jackets 19 held in assembled relationship with respect to the riser by a series of Iongitudinally spaced stainless steel bands 39 and corresponding threaded fasteners 41, FIG. 2.

Each frost jacket consists of a pair of elongated semicylindrical elements 21, FIG. 3 whose meeting edges 23 are provided with a suitable mbber seal compound as at 25 for completing the individual frost jacket 19 assembled over said riser pipe.

For illustration, each frost jacket has a length of ten fee approximately, though the length could be modified to suit conditions.

Adjacent the upper ends of each frost jacket are a series of right angularly related hardwood spacer blocks 27 which are anchored to the corresponding jacket element as at 29 and protect radially inward for cooperative engagement with said riser pipe. These blocks are adapted for uniformly spacing the frost jacket outwardly of said riser pipe.

The seal compound 25 is preferably non-hardening. Weather strips five-sixteenths inch by three-fourths inch may be applied to each jacket as to provide a continuous seal under compression.

Each frost jacket, and accordingly, each semicylindrical element thereof includes a relatively thin outer shell 31, FIG. 5 of glassfiber and relatively thick filler of a suitable foam plastic such as Styrofoam, 35. It is contemplated, however, as equivalent, that any other foam material having good insulating characteristics could be employed for this purpose such urethane foam.

In the illustrative embodiment, the filler is 3 inches thick, whereas, the shells are three-eighths inch approximately, for example.

that other materials could be employed as equivalent, I

such as stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized iron, wood, regular steel and coated steel.

The sealing compound employed at 25, FIG. 3, between the registering upright edges of the corresponding jacket sections is of any suitable compatable plastic substance, such as a rubber or a plastic cement.

As shown in FIG. 2, at the lower portion of the riser pipe 17 and adjacent ground surface G, there is a conventional concrete base45, and thereon, a Styrofoam ring 43 which surrounds the base of the lower-most frost jackets.

Suitable load distributing split washers 69 of glass fiber one-fourth inch thick are interposed between the adjacent frost jackets, mounted on said riser pipe.

As best shown in FIG. 5, depending from bottom of each frost jacket section 19, there is a continuous annular lap 37 or flange which protectively receives and overlies and seals the adjacent upper end of the next frost jacket in completing the assembly shown in FIG. 1

It is noted in FIG. 1, that the upper-most of the frost jackets 19 for a portion of its length up to the tank 11 is protectively enclosed by a slip jacket 47 shown in further detail in FIG. 4. Said slip jacket is of a laminated construction similar to frost jackets l9, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, includes the outer shell 31 of glass fiber, the inner shell 33 of glass fiber and the intermediate filler of a foam plastic such as Styrofoam, for illustration.

The slip jacket is supportably suspended from the bottom of tank 11 and is retained relative to and against the upper frost jacket by a pair of longitudinally spaced stainless steel bands 39 with corresponding fasteners 41, the same as shown in FIG. 2.

The slip jacket has upon its opposite sides a pair of outwardly directed eyelets 49 suitably embedded therein.

Corresponding pairs of eyes 51 are suitably secured to the undersurface of tank 11 and receive the right angular ends 55 of the elongated rods 53. Their lower ends extend through eyes 49 and are suitably secured thereto by a conventional fastener as at 57.

In FIG. 1, there is shown at least one stainless steel stablizer band 59 which is suitably secured around one or more of the jackets 19 with anchor bars 61 extending to and connected with the water tower framework.

FIG. 6 shows a modified slip jacket 63 having a cylindrical body 65 which snugly engages around the upper portion of the upper-most jacket 19 and is secured thereto by a series of spaced stainless steel bands 39 the same as in FIG. 4. The upper portion of the slip jacket is conical and diverges upwardly and outwardly into engagement with the bottom of tank 11. The method of supporting the slip jacket from the tank, though not shown in FIG. 6, is similar to that shown in FIG. 4 with respect to slip jacket 47.

One advantage of the present frost jackets 19 with inner and outer shells of glass fiber is that they are permanent and do not rust and do not have water saturation and retain a permanent color.

Each jacket consists of a pair of halves in ten foot lengths, for illustration, which are banded together as at 39 for compressively engaging the riser pipe throughout its height but uniformly spaced therefrom in view of the series of right angularly related hardwood block spacers 27 at the upper end of each jacket upon the interior thereof.

The overlapping joint between the lower end of a jacket and the upper end of an adjacent jacket accomplished by the lapping flange 37, FIG. 5, provides for a good seal connection to protectively enclose the joint between a pair of said frost jackets end to end.

In the illustrative embodiment, the lap 37 is constructed of fiber glass and for illustration, is approximately 1 /2 inches long depending from the lower end of the frost jacket.

The spacers 27 which in the illustrative embodiment are 2 by 2 inches and 4 inches long, unifonnly space the frost jacket elements from the riser pipe and stablize the jacket with respect to the riser pipe in conjunction with the clamping stainless steel bands which are bolted in place as at 41, FTG. 2.

The present jackets have been tested at 40 degrees below zero for I00 hours or for 20 days at 20 degrees below zero and have been found to remain fully efficient and completely satisfactory for the insulating purpose.

In the illustrative embodiment for illustration, the slip jackets are six feet long and employ a pair of retaining stainless steel bands.

The slip jacket is reasonably snug with respect to the upper frost jacket and stablizes the top of the frost jacket with respect to the tank and the riser pipe.

The present combination of frost jackets in conjunction with the riser pipe and their construction have been found to be a highly efficient frost inhibitor and are of such construction as can be guaranteed for 30 years or more for normal wear.

Whereas, in the disclosure, it has been shown that the frost jackets are cylindrical, it is contemplated as an equivalent construction that the frost jackets may consist of pairs of opposed elongated half sections, and that the assembled frost jacket may be square in cross section rather than circular.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

l claim:

1. An anti-freeze protector jacket adapted to loosely surround the riser pipe of a water tower, comprising:

a pair of opposed elongated semi-cylindrical sections,

with their respective outer edges in registry;

a rubber-like sealing compound between the registering edges of opposed sections;

a series of spacers secured to the interior of said sections at their upper ends and extending radially inward;

a plurality of longitudinally spaced bands surrounding said sections in compression;

each section having inner and outer thin shells of glass fiber and a thick styrofoam filler between said shells;

and an annular lap flange on and extending beyond the end of said sections adapted to cooperatively receive and seal over the corresponding end of an adjacent jacket.

2. In the jacket of claim 1, there being a second jacket of the same construction, at one end projected into said lap flange in registry with said first jacket; and an apertured thrust washer interposed between the registering ends of said jackets to uniformly take up the downward thrust of the upper of said jackets. 

1. An anti-freeze protector jacket adapted to loosely surround the riser pipe of a water tower, comprising: a pair of opposed elongated semi-cylindrical sections, with their respective outer edges in registry; a rubber-like sealing compound between the registering edges of opposed sections; a series of spacers secured to the interior of said sections at their upper ends and extending radially inward; a plurality of longitudinally spaced bands surrounding said sections in compression; each section having inner and outer thin shells of glass fiber and a thick styrofoam filler between said shells; and an annular lap flange on and extending beyond the end of said sections adapted to cooperatively receive and seal over the corresponding end of an adjacent jacket.
 2. In the jacket of claim 1, there being a second jacket of the same construction, at one end projected into said lap flange in registry with said first jacket; and an apertured thrust washer interposed between the registering ends of said jackets to uniformly take up the downward thrust of the upper of said jackets. 